SINTERING STUDIES ON THE SYSTEM UO2-Pu02 PART II - SINTERABILITY

摘要

Sinterability, as defined by final sintered density, has been investigated for the system UO2-PUO2 as_a function of time, temperature, and type of PuO2 addition. Uranium dioxide containing U02-Pu02 solid solution type additions results in greater densification rates than does UO2 containing UO2-PUO2 physical mixture type additions. Solid solutions formed by sintering, when ground and re-sintered, also densify more rapidly than do two phase mixtures. A mechanism explaining these differences in rates is pro-posed. X-ray diffraction data indicates that homogeneous single phase formation is virtually complete after eight hours at 1500 C or one hour at 1600 C. No reduction of plutonium dioxide to a sub oxide during heating in hydrogen has been observed.